Duckeys Quickie Healthy Desserts... Meringue nests

One meringue nest filled with fruit layered with low fat Greek yoghurt

• In a dish add one pre-bought nest or make your own by whisking some egg whites, adding a spoonful of the mixture to a baking tray and cook in the oven until golden
  
• Layer this with chopped fruit of your choice
  
• Cover in natural yogurt and add a few bananas or almonds on top

Duckey’s Healthy Quickie Meal... Herbed fish fingers

Herbed fish fingers

• Add the grated zest of 1 large lemon, 2 tbsp each of chopped dill, chives and parsley with 50g fresh white breadcrumbs to make the breadcrum mixture
  
• Cut about 500g skinless lemon sole or cod fillets into thick strips
  
• Dust each fish piece with seasoned wholemeal flour, and dip into beaten egg before coating with the bread crumbs
  
• Heat a pan with 1 calorie spray
  
• When very hot fry the fish fingers a few at a time for 1-2 minutes on each side
  
• Then drain on kitchen paper and keep warm while you cook the rest

Serve with 3 small new potatoes and a side salad.

For dessert...

Roasted peaches with honey

Love can save your health!

Today I am feeling the love... so I thought it would be fitting to reflect this within my post.

As many of you might already know the rapid growth of social networking sites including Myspace.com or Facebook have seen more than 100 million and 19 million members respectively set up profiles.

Such social networks are taking the web by storm, pushing at the average time spent online for numerous demographics by allowing users to easily manage their personal data, back up their photos and videos in addition to providing the means to communicate with those both inside and outside of their network - engaging interests and regular socialising.

I would like to share with you a story of profile viewing, friending, poking, … and ultimately, how social networking changed my life… or in fact saved it!

I was introduced to Myspace in June 2006 by my younger brother, and promptly set up a profile, and then, out of the blue, a message popped up in my inbox from a nice looking chap wanting to add me as a friend. After reading his detailed profile and browsing his stunning profile picture I couldn’t wait to hit ‘accept’. At first we bantered with hello’s and the exchange of messages to get to know one another, but as time went our Myspace “friendship” developed, crossing the waters into msn, where we held regular and in-depth conversations.

Our relationship was entirely virtual (call it a pre-friendship) as we both ‘put in the ground work’ that was necessary to assess whether we would go the distance and meet one another offline. (But this bares striking similarities to the underlying framework of social networks in that many friends and networks are made up of individuals who have never actually met?) Far from suggesting that everyone is as genuine as they say they are I felt we had gained a mutual trust and exchanged phone numbers.

We spoke on the phone frequently as if we had known each other forever! After about a year and a half we had discussed meeting in the middle as I lived in Suffolk and he lived in Surrey but never came to an outcome. I took those first steps and, after setting up a profile on Facebook, we arranged to meet at my 21st Birthday party in London, under the watchful eye of my parents. I am happy to say after that one meeting it was the cliché “love at first sight” and with a lot of hard work and travelling, we managed to maintain an 8 month ‘long distance relationship’.

When I first met Rob I was struggling with what had become a potentially fatal eating disorder, a fear of eating which had deeply cemented itself in my mind. It was like I had a Jekyll and Hyde fighting constantly in my head! It was really exhausting, I wasn’t living merely existing!

Being very open with him, Rob understood the importance of re-training my mind to love food again. This process took a lot of time, many un-welcomed conversations and lots of unwanted frustrations. However through it all he stuck with me and finally began to get through to me!

When you love someone like I do Rob, you will do anything to make them happy and my eating disorder was beginning to affect the most magical relationship I could have imagined. I dread what may have happened have I not had met Rob, where would I be now? I am not saying I could have overcome this on my own but even though the hard work was done by me, Rob was my support method along with a kind and caring family which really helped!

Our relationship was further cemented three months ago when we moved into our first home together. Social Networking, in my experience, has been the creator of a series of life changing events and I believe it has saved mine… I can now live again!

I see it as only fate that we met in such a way and even though it’s not an usual way to meet the man of your dreams it certainly worked for me...

Foods can relieve stress...

Some people reduce their stress by over eating, some people such as myself reduce stress by under eating to gain control within their lives again, we all have our own ways of dealing with stress, be it drinking, treating yourself, shopping all can come down to psychological issues.

We should really be helping stress issues by replacing them with healthy ones instead of unhealthy ones! When feeling stressed it is advised that we should not involve food. Foods act like a stimulate, such as caffeine, which can trigger off stress. Drinking green tea helps, as they are rich in bioflavonoids that help in combating stress and depression!

Food and drink like coffee, tea or chocolate should be eaten in limited amounts. Stress can disrupt our blood sugar levels which is why we should avoid food that will disrupt our sugar levels. So we should be eating whole natural foods containing fibre which stabilizes our blood sugar levels. This in turn help prevents stress. Dark green leafy vegetables, are great for stress reduction high with sources of B-complex vitamins and whole grains for this same reason.
The times we eat our meals are also important, one of the most important guidelines is:

• If you are going to do something very physical eat more


• Eat less when your are not going to be doing much physically afterwards


• Eating too much before you go to bed could interfere with your sleep making you in turn more stressed.

This is avoiding nutritional stress, like if you skip lunch then exercise you are likely to crash later on!

A bad habit I have been known to do in the past but the fact is you need the calories to burn and give you energy!

Basically its common sense and about having a diet that will stabilize your stress levels!

Olives...

Olives are one of my favourite foods especially as a starter in a restaurant or on a hot summers day! Great Tapas food! You can do so much with them and get so many varieties! So I have researched these wondrous tree fruits and would like to share the information with you!

Where do they come from?

Olives are grown on trees and are usually harvested in September, however they are available all year round much to our benefit! There is a special process that an Olive has to undertake for us to reap their true benefits, they have a unique bitterness to them which vary depending on the type of Olive tree an Olive stems from… this could be the region they are grown, the colour, desired taste or texture.

This creates the difference between green and black Olives. Green Olives are picked early before they are rip whereas black Olives are left to ripen hence turning black in colour. The colour can also be affected by the liquid the Olive is stored in for example some are placed in Brine, oil, water or salt. Some green Olives are also exposed to air which in doing so the Oxidation ripens them to a black colour! I prefer the black Olives when I snack on these delicious fruits however the green ones are great in Martini’s!

Different varieties include Moroccan oil-cured, Kalamata, Nicoise, Picholine and Manzanilla. They vary in size, flavour, texture and you can get Olives pitted or un-pitted as they naturally come with a stone.

They are one of the oldest known foods and it is said they have originated from Crete several thousand years ago! Thank goodness they spread as they are one of my favourite foods!

Why are Olives so good for you?

Olives contain heaps of nutrients that benefit our health… they have a very good source of monounsaturated fat and a good source of vitamin E, iron and copper and also fibre.

A good source of Vitamin E…

As they are high in monounsaturated fats they are very high in vitamin E, it is important to have some in our cells as it helps the membranes around our cells DNA. Vitamin E directly neutralizes all the fat-rich areas of the body.

Protection from Heart Disease…

The nutrients in olives help to prevent heart disease.

Support Gastrointestinal Health…

A higher in take of vitamin E and the monounsaturated fats is associated with lower rates of colon cancer.

Beneficial Anti-Inflammatory Effects…

The anti-inflammatory actions of the monounsaturated fats, vitamin E and polyphenols in olives may also help reduce the severity of conditions such as asthma. They also help women who are going through the menopause as they help hot flushes!

How to pick the right Olive for you?

Most commonly in our country we buy Olives in jars or containers, you can make from Olives a tapenade which is a spread you can use also as a dip, or topping for certain fish dishes! Great with cod! See my version of tapenade!

To serve you could create an anti-pasti dish… these can be accompanied by vegetable crudités, hummus or artichokes or roasted peppers! Great for sharing parties and creating the ultimate tapas!

Good summer finger food.. or if you don’t like getting your hands dirty use cocktail sticks! You can also get some beautiful Olive sets with pickers which look very classy indeed!

Champagne... cheers to your health!

Red wine… good for our hearts...

White wine… good for our lungs...

All wine… good for our lips!

In conducting some online research it has been recently discovered that Champagne may also be good for our brains! Apparently Champagne as a source of brain protection… This beautiful sparkling wine may help protect the injuries related to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or Strokes.

Champagne has a high presence of polyphenols which are chemical substances made from plants. They also act as antioxidants, which can help cells avoid death, destruction, and other nasty things like cancer.

These findings have now lead to further investigations of Champagne’s health benefits and human lifespan, specifically aging. In the past,

This spirit with a sparkling personality, we usually celebrate our good health with a glass of champagne, is know as the glass of “bubbly” so lets raise a glass today to those scientists who provide another happy drink for us to celebrate our health!
























I must admit when I’m celebrating I do like the odd drop of Champs to celebrate, especially a special occasion! I love the flavours, the fizz and the class of holding the flute, and now I know it benefits my health with my birthday around the corner the Champagne will be flowing! See my tips on how to drink alcohol in a healthy way!

Lets toast the Dom Perignons, the Moet, and the Louis Roederers of the world!

Romantic Sumptious Salmon

As tragic as it sounds before I met Rob, I spent my valentines day alone... so what better than to put this time of aloneness to use and create a fantastic romantic meal for my folks! So listen up all romancers her are a few tips from setting the scene to the meal to wine and dine your dearest!

Set the scene:

To produce a romantic meal to give confidence in your cooking you should dazzle your guest with your elegant presentation skills.

In this case I dressed the table with a red table cloth, red roses, the cards my parents gave to each other for Valentines day, Baileys truffle chocolates, Olives to start, Strawberries with whipped cream to accompany the proud bottle of champagne dominating the table. Along with the cutlery, glasses and a napkin to avoid nasty spillages!

In the background I added some light romantic tunes and lit the room by a candle also situated on the table.




















The Meal…

RECIPE: Pecan crusted Salmon stuffed with herbs, resting on a bed of vegetable noodle stir-fry topped with sweet potato mash served with a mango salsa, followed by my famous Duckeys Chocciehotpots.

You will need:

2 Salmon fillets
75g pecans
Fresh herbs (I used dill)
Italian seasoning
3-4 sweet potatoes
1 pack of noodles
1 pack of stirfry vegetables

For the Mango Salsa:

1 Mango
1 chilli
1 lemon
1 dessert spoon of crème fresh
1 spring onion

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees

2. Wash the salmon butter flying in down the middle

3. Stuff the salmon with the herbs (fresh dill and some Italian seasoning)

4. Chop finely some pecan nuts and lay on top of the stuffed Salmon (you can even add extra inside)

5. Wrap the pieces in tin foil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes

6. Meanwhile bring to the boil some noodles whilst stir frying some mixed vegetables

7. Also boil so chopped sweet potatoes for 15 minutes

8. Once the noodles are cooked drain and add to the stir-fry

To make the Salsa:

1. Cut up the Mango and remove skin
2. In a blender add the Mango, lemon juice, chilli, spring onions and crème fresh
3. Season to taste with salt, pepper or any other herb of your choice

To serve:

1. Serve the stir-fry and noodles onto a plate
2. In the sauce pan mash the sweet potato and serve on top of the stir fry
3. Remove the Salmon from the foil and lay on top of the mash
4. Add your Salsa!

The verdict my folks absolutely loved the meal and wanted more! They also loved the Chocciehotpots and spent the evening nicely full cuddled up on the sofa!

Job done! (I am also available for birthdays and Christmas!) If you have any Valentine food stories then please share on the blog, good, funny or bad!

Mediterranean Mezze!

The Mediterranean diet is practised by countries in the Mediterranean regions this includes Spain, Greece, Turkey, Italy amongst others.

It is such a diverse and varied diet which doesn’t particularly stick to a regime as such, which could be good for those of us who have a busy lifestyle or hate diets, which would kind of contradict this being a type of diet but hey... who cares!

The diet is said to be more healthy than European or other diets as the meds eat more grains, such as spaghetti, fruits of all types, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and olive oil. Basically lots of natural raw produce!

They eat red meat sparingly which seems to benefit health, too much red meat can be bad for you and in place of this they eat fish a few times a week increasing the amount of Omega 3 fatty acids.

The negetives...

the diet is higher in fat by 40% than the recommended 30% , the Mediterranean diet is a great alternative to low-fat eating... becoming increasingly popular, I can't say eating more fat appeals to me but on the other hand once in a while its good to know it wouldn't hurt to try it!

A typical Mediterranean diet follows the below principles:

• There fat ration encourages more monounsaturated to saturated fats


• They limit wine and alcohol consumption
  
• They eat less meat


• They eat lots natural foods such as cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables


• Their diet includes lots of fresh fruits as dessert with sweets consisting of nuts, olive oil, and concentrated sugars and honey


• They limit their intake of milk and dairy products (including cheese and yogurt)


• Use local produce


• Have fewer than 4 eggs per week


• They use olive oil as the principal source of dietary fats even using this to dip their bread in!

As myself and Rob like to challenge ourselves by cooking different cuisines we decided to try an Italiano mezze spread and here’s how we did it:

RECIPE: Char-grilled vegetable and mozzarella pizza served with mixed marinated olives, garlic roasted mushrooms, tomato basil and balsamic dressed salad and reduced fat hummus.

Basically this is really easy to create and for the best ingredients I recommend Waitrose, slightly more expensive but definitely worth it.


















We bought a shop bought pizza from the superstore however you can make your own or buy a base and add your ingredients the pizza we bought was pretty healthy in terms of pizza and has been freshly prepared with light cheese and char-grilled vegetables.

Buy a pack of pre-packed salad and add to this basil leaves, baby tomatoes, mozzarella and balsamic vinegar


















Waitrose have a great selection of Olives so select and serve at home!

Buy some flat mushrooms and wash thoroughly, chop up some garlic season with pepper and oven back for 15 minutes with the pizza

For true Italiano add a nice bottle of Pinot Gringo which will complement the flavours delightfully.

Serve with hummus as an accompaniment.

















This is great for parties, or if you and a friend feel like spoiling yourselves a bit, I would probably only have this as a treat for being good as I would not usually recommend pizza.

We often eat lots of olives, hummus and snacks however I would be careful as I don't agree with eating too much fat to be honest it scares me so I avoid it. I would tend to always go for the low fat or lighter options if you can and get as many fruit and vegetables in your diet if you can.

Take care of your skin!

How many of us now a days take care of our skin...?



I have a small routine I do daily and a complete cleanse I usually apply on a Sunday evening or when I have time to fit it in.



As for men... does a man have to be extremely confident with his sexuality now a days to take care of his skin?

It is a small fact that most most would put taking care of their skin at the bottom of their to do list! However being a girl I think if a man can take care of his skin it says a lot for his personality!



We all may not bother to do this for the below reasons:

• It takes too much time


• We cannot be bothered


• The expense of the products


• We simply do not have the knowledge of where to start, nor do they care.

As our skin is like our third lung, one of the first things others notice, and is one of the greatest beauty or attractiveness factors, skin care should be an important part of a daily routine.



Not only does the skin play a part in your identity and appreareance, it shows us whats happening on the inside of our bodies. The skin acts as a protection from things like pollution, bacteria and sicknesses.

Unfortunately as we age, our skin starts to lose its elasticity, and wrinkles, fine lines, and crow’s feet start to form. I have heard we should start our anti-ageing process at 25 years old, before its too late rather than after! Which kind of makes sense!


In order for a man and woman to prolong the youthful appearance of skin it really only takes a few minutes a day.



Here are my top tips:







1. Use a gentle exfoliation cream, to get rid of dry skin

2. Then wash your face with a gentle soap

3. Splash with cold water to close the pores this acts as a protection

4. Use a good moisturizer this should ideally contain an SPF of 15 or greater – you can apply this with a cotton wool pad cleansing deep into the pores

5. You can also get various other treatments such as face packs, under eye balm and lip balm you can use for extra benefit


TIPS:

• Buying a moisturizer that has SPF protects you from skin cancers and keeps you looking youthful for longer so in essence it does two jobs and protects on a daily basis.
  
• Eating a healthy and well balanced diet will also do wonders for your skin.
  
• Foods that are high in saturated fats, such as chips, fried foods, like donuts and processed foods such as pre-bought chicken burgers, will all cause the skin to age prematurely.
  
• As for the expense there are some great products on the market now a days just go to your local chemist and you are spoilt for choice. I think that Clinque is a good range and not over priced for the quality of the products. You can even make your own products...

I was exploring a website the other day and they gave advice on how you can make your own remedies!


Apart from being easy to prepare, the freshness of natural ingredients will be loved by one and all. Now I don't know how good these are I can't say I have tested them yet but when I do the photos will be on here ladies and gents! And if you try them leave a comment and let me know how you got on!

Face Cleanser

You can add together plain yogurt to half a cup of oatmeal, which will in turn form a paste. After mixing well, apply this on the face, of course as usual avoiding eye area! …After 10-15 minutes wash off with lukewarm water. As Oatmeal, is hypoallergenic, is highly absorptive and softens skin. Apparently Oats have been clinically proven to dry and itchy skin.


Body Cleansers

You can flush out the toxins by adding a cup of hot water to lime. Internally you can make a paste formed of sea salt and water can be rubbed into the body before shower, almost acting as an exfoliation method allowing at least a minute before washing off.


Face Pack (oily skin)

Add about 8 to 9 Strawberries mashed up and three tablespoon of honey (sounds almost yummy)… then mix (but don’t blend). Add this to your face and allow a few minutes set, then wash off or eat it... mmmm there’s a challenge!

Face Pack (dry skin)

Mash up some bananas with a fork, but not so the mixture goes to runny. Add a drop of honey and leave for ten minutes then wash off.

Face Pack (Normal Skin)

Cook 1 peach, until its soft enough to mash with a fork, like the processes above and add a tablespoon of honey and this time oatmeal so as to thicken’s. Apply to skin and wait for 10-15 minutes before rinsing this time with cool water.


No excuses!



So if you want to stay youthful and radient start today!

Its all about the cod!

When I first met Rob he wanted to cook for me! Being a true fish lover he opted for a nice piece of fresh cod served with vegetables and noodles all my favourite food. Now to cook fish plain can be quite bland and dull but to my amazement Rob has come up with a plan and i'm sure he wont mind me sharing his recipe with you...


RECIPE: Pesto grilled tender cod, sat on a layer of noodles accompanied by roasted seasoned vegetables

You will need:

2 cod fillets
Jar of pesto (Sacla is good)
2 packs of sharewoods noodles
1 courgette
1 pepper
1 mushroom
1 onion

Cut and prepare the vegetables and roast them in the oven with some 1 calorie spray and some garlic salt and pepper

Cook the noodles in some boiling water

Grill the cod (George Foreman) and top with the Pesto the pesto should form a crust as the cod cooks

To serve add the noodles to a plate, spoon the vegetables around the side Place the cooked cod on top...

Its really as simple as that and I was very impressed by the recipe so thank you Rob!

Doesn't he look impressed with himself!

Duckeys Divine Pancakes...

For pancake day me and Rob wanted to celebrate the tradition properly so I made the healthiest version of Pancakes I could! So I played around and adapted and to keep Rob happy even came up with an idea of adding a little naughtiness and indulgence!

RECIPE: Moist fluffy scotch pancakes, made in three versions... rocking raisin , baked blueberry and caressing chocolate champion pancakes.

You will need:

125g wholemeal flour

125g milk

2 egg whites

25g blueberries

25g raisins

2-3 dessert spoons chocolate spread

1. Pre-heat a frying pan and spray with 1 calorie spray

2. In a jug mix the egg whites then add into the flour eggs and milk to create a thick consistency batter

3. With a ladle scoop the batter and insert in the pan

4. Insert the filling of your choice on the wet batter

5. With a spatula check underneath and when brown flip over

6. Check again and when the other side is cooked then keep warm on a plate under the grill

7. If you want to try flipping make the pancake a bit thinner than the scotch pancakes and larger this is great fun so try at least one!

8. Serve in a stack on a plate!


These pancakes are wonderful and aren't as bad for you as you think as long as you don't overload them with syrup or sugar!

The blueberry pancakes are amazing as the blueberries cook and turn soft and warm it deepens the taste. The raisin pancakes are delicious with the raisins creating more texture and complement the fluffiness of the pancake batter... now as for the chocolate ones adding a dollop of Nutella spread allows the chocolate to cook into the pancake hardening on the outside, much like a chocolate croissant a naughty one to try for the occasional treat!

Duckeys Summer Fruit Pudding...

Summer is in sight and what more fitting for a dessert than a Summer Fruit Pudding... I have my own recipe and here's what to do...

RECIPE: A Delicious and mouthwatering summer fruit pudding refreshingly filled with fruit and berries, served with fresh bio yogurt or a scoop of creme fresh.

You will need:

100g of raspberries
50g strawberries
50g blackberries
50g blueberries
25g creme fresh
4 slices of wholemeal bread
25g water

To make:

1. Take your chosen size bowl or individual ramekin.

2. Boil down in a saucepan 50g of raspberries to create a compote

3. Cut a circle around out of once slice of the bread to make a base and dip into the compote sticking the base to the bottom of the bowl

4. Using the same process cover the bowl sides with bread (the bowl should now be lined with bread)

5. Fill with the mixture of washed fruit and berries

6. Cut out a wop lid and press down firmly to seal

7. Place in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes to one hour and serve to your liking.


This recipe not only is yummy but it is so healthy for you and fills you up nicely too!

Everything at Steak!

A little bit of red meat doesn’t hurt, so to class up the original ‘Steak and Chips’ I decided to put my Duckey stamp on this dish and create a healthy alternative. Red meat is really good for iron so great for people who may have a slight iron deficiency.

I dont' see antyhing wrong with a steak every now and then in moderation. Always buy quality meat, London broil and other cuts of beef are filled with the amino acid LEUCINE, which helps you whittle your waistline without sacrificing muscle tissue.

I would always recommend grilling your Steak preferably in a George Foreman… it gets rid of a lot of the fat content!

RECIPE: Healthy grilled Steak topped with roasted mushrooms, served with couscous stuffed pepper topped with melted mature cheese and fresh seasonal vegetables

You will need:

2 Steaks
2 Red bell peppers
125g couscous
Carrots
Green Peas
Mushrooms

1. Cut the tops of the peppers, remove the seeds and wash (keep the tops for presentation)

2. Pre-heat the grill for the Steaks and the oven for the peppers

3. Roast the peppers for around 20 minutes after 15 add the mushrooms

4. Boil the vegetables in a saucepan

5. In a bowl add hot water to the couscous and cover with cling film leave to sit for 5-10 minutes

6. Add the Steak to the grill and cook to your taste I like mine medium

7. Cook on both sides then serve on a plate

8. Top the Steaks with the cooked mushrooms

9. Stuff the roasted peppers with the couscous and top with cheese put back in the oven until cheese has melted and top with some dill

10. You can add the pepper top at this stage for presentation

11 Serve the cooked vegetables on the side.

Now you can sit down and enjoy your healthy version of Steak minus the fat and chips!

Get up and go... how to wake up happy!

It must be the worst feeling in the world... the alarm goes off early in the morning and all you want to do is reach over and hit the snooze button again and again. To be honest I do I set my aarm three times before I get up!


Some of us are just not cut out for early mornings even the best of us find it difficult waking up a Monday morning with a full work week ahead!

So there must be a simple solution to help you along the way!... Here are a few ways to start your day off right, and make your morning just that little bit better.


1. Hydrate yourself!... Drink a large glass of water as soon as you get up.


When you wake up, your body is dehydrated... you have been asleep for a fair few hours. This will not only make you feel better, but you will avoid the jittery feeling coffee will give you when your body is lacking hydration and you consume caffeine. Although we think coffee is good to wake us up it actually acts similar to a drug and can have the opposite affect.



2. Get up and go!... Start your day off with a walk or light exercise.


Getting up twenty minutes to half an hour earlier than normal shouldn’t be a huge struggle. When you exercise you assist the blood in your body to flow, it will wake you up and burn off some of the calories you consumed during breakfast! It will get you energized for the day, and you will feel great. Better still why not try walking to work not only will you be gaining exercise but it will also reduce carbon emissions and save using transport!


3. Have a healthy breakfast... fuel for your day!


Starting the morning off right with some eggs, whole wheat toast, orange juice, and fruit will energize your body and keep you fueled up until lunch time. If you don’t have time to cook, try a home made smoothie or some porridge or wholgrain cereal with skimmed milk!



4. Get to bed early the night before!


If you have an early start the next day make sure you have a nice relaxing early night to prepare organise yourself the day before... If you have a hard time managing your time in the morning, try making your lunch, picking out your outfit, or doing other organizing the night before instead of when you wake up.


5. Smile...



If you smile you will put yourself in a positive mood, try listening to some upbeat music or do something that makes you happy and inspired before you start your day!





By starting your day off on the right foot, you can improve your mood and set the tone for the rest of the day. A better day and a better mood mean less stress and tension, which can both lead to sickness and disease.

To stretch or not to stretch... that is the question!

These days, stretching is not only a controversial issue amongst runners, but other athletes alike. People have different views on whether you should stretch before a workout or after a work out and how long to hold the stretches.

What it comes down to is that regardless of the how, why, when, and for how long, stretching yields great health benefits.

The point of stretching is to lengthen the muscles, and move the joints. There has been several studies done on stretching before a work out, as a common thought is that stretching a cold muscle can cause harm to it, or reduces endurance.

One study shows that runners who stretched before their run slowed their performance as far as strength and power went.

On the other hand, many fitness experts still condone stretching before a work out. A physical therapist interviewed in the study notes that stretching before exercise can minimize injuries, help to regulate imbalances between opposing muscles, helps with shock absorption, and helps runners reserve energy by loosening muscles. Stretching regularly can also dramatically improve flexibility, which is a key element of fitness and gives you a larger range of movement.

Those that are more flexible are much less likely to strain muscles, and therefore get injured much less than those with more restrictive movement.

Along with stretching regularly at the gym, participating in yoga is a great way to reap the physical benefits that stretching has to offer, as well as the psychological ones that the yoga practices gives.

Yoga is said to be one of the best anti aging activities, and can also help to relieve ailments such as asthma, body pains, high blood pressure, and anxiety.

You can also take up practice of stretching out your body throughout the day, as it will release built up toxins and prevent back pains-especially if your job involves sitting throughout most of the day.

Strawberries rock...

Not all diets have to taste bad... Strawberries are proven to be more satisfying than other foods as they lower cholesterol levels. They also provide the below health benefits:


1. They are healthy!

As they contain valuable vitamins and nutrients. Just eight strawberries provide more Vitamin C than one orange does-about 160% of the daily recommended amount. Not only are they yummy... they are also full of fiber, and potassium-with just only 50 tiny calories per serving and 8 grams of sugar.

2. They will keep you young... hows that for a benefit!

Strawberries are packed with super cancer fighting and anti aging antioxidants. They ward off nasty cronic diseases, and will promote optimal health! Strawberries rank about 10th among the top ten fruits in relation to the amount of antioxidants they contain.

3. They may prevent arthritis... and you don't want that!

In a recent study conducted of more than 20,000 people, found that people who ate healthy foods such as strawberries were more than three times more likely to remain arthritis free than those who didn’t.

4. They are great for your skin... show off your strawberry complexion!

Strawberries are classified as a skin cleansing food, they can also help with certain skin disorders. All the better reason to eat strawberries!

5. They are good for you teeth... so smile!

As Strawberries are naturally low in sugar, in cutting them in half and rubbing them on your gums has even been shown to remove tarter from the teeth and strengthen and heal gums.

In this country Strawberries are thought of as mostly a summer food, due to the season, but by the power of airmail... they can be enjoyed year round.



























Strawberries are great served alone, in dishes such as puddings, in smoothies, with yogurt or even served with champagne! Always keep a bag of frozen strawberries in the freezer, so they are always on hand!

Start basic... start walking!

Walking is the best low impact exercise we can do... most of us walk from here to there everyday so if you are someone who will use you car to drive to the post box at the end of your road or quite simply to lazy to walk then listen closely!

Walking is a motion that is a natural movement it is innate to us all. It can also improve your health and keep you in great shape!

If you walk on a regular basis you will find that:

1. Walking reduces stress... and stress can create an unhealthy platform for your body. In general exercise is great at reducing stress, especially when outdoors in the fresh air, a walk home from work will do wonders for your mind as well as your body!

2. It encourages weight lose and helps to maintain your bodies weight. Walking burns calories and is great for toning up by walking as little as half an hour a day can have a great impact on your weight.

3. Walking promotes healthy bones and joints. Keeping active and moving, especially as you age has a direct impact on how strong your bones and joints are, and can prevent harmful injuries later on in life.

4. Walking keeps your heart healthy... It can reduce your risk of a heart attack by lowering bad cholesterol levels and increasing good cholesterol levels. Walking on a regularlywill lower blood pressure, which can contribute to heart disease.

5. Aids the management of diabetes... If you have diabetes, walking regularly actually increases your body’s ability to process sugar and lower blood sugar levels.

So... get motivated to walk, to help you if you struggle set up or join a walking club in your community. Walk with a partner or friend, or perhaps help join our new eco way of life and walk to work! If you make a commitment you are more likely to keep to it!

Walking is also relaxing, there are som many locations we can choose to walk, along the beach, in the woods by the lake I went to London a few weeks ago and spent the morning walking around hyde park with my family and Rob and really felt my butt ache by the end of it!

Also... for us girls... Shopping is a great way to walk! Always a plus! So yes shopping is good for you tell your men!

Alternative health... Reiki healing

Reiki is a Japanese word meaning “universal life energy”.

Those who practice Reiki believe that energy is constantly all around us and that it can be harnessed to improve all aspects of a persons health.

This practice was first started by Dr. Mikao Usui and has been passed down through generations.

Reiki is an excellent form of holistic medicine that can help people heal in today’s stressful, fast paced world.

The process...

• Reiki should only be performed by a professional practitioner that has been properly trained. A session generally starts with a series of questions as to what needs to be healed in the body. The recipient is almost always in a lying down position, but if the pain is too great when lying down the practitioner will make sure the client is in a very comfortable position and is as relaxed as possible.


• The Reiki healer starts by placing their hands on or above certain spots throughout the body, and will focus on the areas that are of greater concern.


• The idea is to re establish a natural flow of energy throughout the human body, letting the body heal itself. Sometimes the energy flow can be blocked which poses a problem for people with injuries or other ailments.
  

Those with lower “life force energy” tend to feel sluggish or stressed out, and those with flowing energy can more easily have a positive outlook on life, and feel healthy and calm.

Even if you have no apparent injuries, Reiki is an excellent form of and rejuvenation. Patients on prescription drugs have even reported lessening of the drug’s side effects after attending regular Reiki sessions.

Reiki treatments have begun to gain popularity in the last ten to fifteen years. It is a simple and gentle treatment that everyone can benefit from, and it can have remarkable results.

Healthy Salmon Chinese Stir-fry!

It's late on a Tuesday evening after work and i'm not sure what to cook, I want optimum health food but without the hassle of cooking… so I thought how about a Chinese stir-fry? If you don't have a love for Oriental cooking perhaps try my Vegetarian Duckey Stir-fry!

RECIPE: A crunchy, flavourful assortments of Chinese stir-fried vegetables mixed with warmed flaked salmon, coated in soya sauce, on a bed of sesame noodles coated with roasted cashew nuts.

You will need:

½ can of water chestnuts
1 pack of flaked Salmon
1 bunch of Chok Poi
Sliced fresh ginger
Beansproats
Red pepper
Dark Soya Sauce
2 packs of wholegrain noodles
Sesame seeds

25g cashew nuts

1. In a wok pre-heat using 1 calorie spray and toast some sesame seeds

















2. Along side boil some wholegrain noodles

3. Chop and wash your Chinese vegetables and insert into the hot wok

4. After about 3 minutes add some Dark Soya Sauce

















5. Keep stirring occasionally until vegetables soften and add the flaked Salmon and cashew nuts

















6. To serve insert the noodles into a bowl

















7. Top with the Salmon stir-fry mixture

















You have a quick easy healthy meal for two people.

The truth behind calories...

Understanding calories is important in a balanced diet… now I at a young impressionable age of 19 years old looked at the media and read various articles in magazine telling us how bad calories are and how we should have as little as possible in our diets. Now here is where the misconceptions come from…

Calories believe it or not are actually a measurement of energy, and what do we need energy for… yes, survival. All foods contain calories this is a fact. Science defines a calorie as “the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by one degree Celsius.”

To grow your body needs calories, especially if you do physical activities and for maintenance. It’s like putting petrol in a car someone once told me. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council suggest for women 25-50 years of age who are 5 feet 4 inches tall is 2200 calories.

The number of calories your body needs depends on your weight, height, age, body size, physical condition and how often you are physically active. Weight gain takes place only if your body exceeds its maximum intake of calories where excess calories are stored as fat, making you gain weight. I suggest this would be two 3 course meals and a fry up each day... not good!

In a balance diet it is also important to keep track of how much fat, carbohydrates and protein are in the foods you eat. If your body is not properly fuelled your energy levels will drop

Its simple really and taken me many years to learn…

• Eat more than you burn and you gain weight



• Eat less and you lose weight



• Whatever calories you eat in excess of what you need; whether fat, protein or carbohydrates - get stored as fat.

There were days I used to feel like a zombie as I didn’t have enough energy to stand, I would stumble in the street, have blurred vision and why put yourself through that to look better, this is when you start to lose who you really are and it’s a slippery road to take!
There are three ways to unbalance what is known as the Energy Balance Equation, in order to lose weight:

• Eat fewer calories than you normally burn.



• Eat the calories you eat now and increase the amount you burn, or



• Do a little of both of the above by increasing what you burn and decreasing the amount you eat. This is the best option, and will guarantee your success.
  

So don’t be fooled by what you here, take my advice and if you want to stay trim do it the sensible way.

Duckey gets deep...

OK so I have had some changes recently that I feel may have knocked me slightly off my spiritual path, and I’m not talking Christianity or religion but something much greater, the reason we exist… losing our way can happen to us all at some point or another in life.

Whilst moving almost three months ago, in leaving my old life, family and job I had to cut my ties with everything, even the universe. Some people call it god, the source but personally I prefer the universe. I am referring to this ultimate source of energy that makes the world work, if you know how to use this effectively you can get anything you want.

When you are connected to that source, things just seem to work for you, and lately I will admit things have not been going my way. A week ago I became very unwell I had to go home to Suffolk to have some tests and recuperate at my parents. It became apparent I had detached myself from the world to protect myself from missing home and the stress I was going through, only to be seen after a few days of being back there.

After lots of talking I discovered I was disconnected from this universal source and some how I needed to connect again. My parents and especially my brother gave me some good advice. My brother impressed me, he has such a wonderful presence I have only begun to see lately, I admire him deeply and if there is anyone I want to be like it him!

I also had a visit from a friend called Penny. She is the most lovely warm hearted person to be around I see her as a creature I admire ‘the butterfly’ she floats elegantly from place to place doing what she would like to do and living her life! She has been the best friend to my mum and over the weekend really helped me.

Penny specialises in a process called ‘The Journey’ this is a process where you meet your inner self and resolve issues that may have been causing an energy blockage of some kind for example, a bad experience. I did this process with her and it was amazing I was barely conscious and felt like I was travelling through my body.

Can the mind cure the mind, working on itself? This is almost a self- therapy that has been scenically proven to reduce stress or emotional discomfort. It was explained to me that we produce new cells in our body over few days, now if this is true then why do we get cancer? Surely this cell should re-new itself, this is why now it is being said that our cells memorise our emotions, if you are stressed an there is a blockage your cells may remember this and lock onto the new cell. I find it fascinating.

In doing this process I learnt a lot about myself and realised it is ok to be me… I had a lot of issues in the past with friends, relationships and discovered I had put myself in a cage to protect myself from others. I had felt so bad about the things that had happened to me I would never want to hurt anyone else.

I find it hard to make friends I have a “fake Rachel” I display at times of meeting new people, this Rachel I became to despise I hated being this person but due to the metal belief that I had, going back to my school years that I had done something horrible to make people treat me unkindly I had to give people what I thought they wanted to see, which made me an unhappy person as I had to suppress the real me.

After a while this hate became physical, I stopped eating, became more unhappy and found myself in a catch 22 situation heading for a sever eating disorder. It is only now I feel strong enough to come out and say It., I used to be ashamed but now I have been through a journey of self discovery. Sometimes you have to go through shit to find some meaning! I want to be able to be in a position to help others through my experience.

I found doing the journey with Penny a kind of mindfulness meditation; I guess this can be used for individuals with a variety of medical disorders, including stress, chronic pain, depression and eating disorders and perhaps when I have overcome this I would like to use it to help someone else.

Awareness, in eastern cultures is the process of shifting your world-view, from earthly mundane matters, through progressive levels of detachment to gain a supra-ordinal view

It is quite possible though, that if we look upon stress and anxiety as a warning signal from our mind and body that a change in the way we look at life and things in general is needed, and we view meditation as only a part of a whole series of measures to modify our current paradigms of living, it is likely to be far more successful in its originally intended role.

Its about finding a wholeness and inter-connectedness of things when you have found that in yourself wait and see what happens in the world around you.

Duckeys Quickie Healthy Desserts... Bananas

Bananas and low fat yoghurt

• Chop up one banana (per person)
  
• Add to a bowl / glass and add a few spoonfuls of low fat yogurt
  
• Sprinkle some chopped almonds to compliment or layer with the bananas.
  

Duckey’s Healthy Quickie Meal... Paprika Pork

Paprika pork

• Heat 1 calorie spray in a pan and add 3 thinly sliced onions
  
• Fry this for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft and coloured
  
• Cut 2 pork fillets into bite size chunks


• Add to the pan stirring over a high heat to seal and brown


• Stir in 2 tbsp paprika, cook briefly, then add 300ml chicken stock and bring to the boil
  
• Cover and cook for 30-35 minutes, until the pork is tender
  
• Stir in 100 ml low fat crème fraiche and simmer for a further 2 minutes
  
  Serve with a small jacket potato and broccoli.
  
  For dessert...
  
  Fruit sorbet

Happy Chocolate Birthday Cake...

Wednesday celebrates my mum's 42nd birthday!

Yes everyone with me being 22 years old next month that makes my mum a yummy mummy.

Anyway due to personal circumstances I am back for the weekend and in celebration of my mums birthday, while house bound I wanted to make her the most moist chocolate birthday cake as its her favourite.

So in my own Duckey way I will show you to make a not so guilty chocolate cake fit for my yummy mummy!

RECIPE:

A tender moist double layered chocolate cake, sandwich together with light vanilla butter cream, fresh plump raspberries, smoothed over by dark chocolate scattered with chopped almonds.

You will need:

To make the cake:

200g wholemeal self raising flour
200g brown sugar
200g light butter
3 dessert spoons of G&B organic cocoa powder
4 organic eggs
1/4 tsp cinnamon

To make the butter cream:


50g light butter
150g Icing sugar
Few drops of vanilla essence

Fresh raspberries
80g dark 80% chocolate
50g chopped almonds


1. In a jug mix together 4 eggs

2. In a separate mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar

3. After 5 minutes add the eggs

















4. This is the most important step of your cake baking... beat the eggs sugar and butter together for about 10 minutes until light and fluffy... add a touch of cinnamon for flavour

















5. In a figure of eight fold in the flour whilst sifting

6. Once mixed thoroughly add in 3 dessert spoons of cocoa powder and stir in

















7. Divide your mixture into two sandwich tins which have been lightly greased with butter


















8. Put in a pre-heated oven and back for 15 minutes















The cakes are done when they are bouncy on top

9. Allow the cooked cakes to cool at room temperature for half an hour

To make the filling:

1. Cream together the butter and icing sugar whilst adding a drop of vanilla essence for extra flavour.

2. Once cakes have cooked put half the mixture on one side and one on the other smoothing with a spatula
















3. On one side fill the cake with fresh raspberries
















4. Sandwich the two cakes together















5. Melt the dark chocolate

6. Spread this mixture on top of the cake

7. Sprinkle on the almonds

8. Finish with some raspberries on top
















Your end result will be a truly delicious and uplifting summer cake... mine didn't stick around for long!

Make exercise fun!

As much as we all say we like to get fit, do we really enjoy the process? Even I find it hard to motivate myself sometimes… I mean how many other crazy girls do you know who gets up to do Yoga at 6.30am each morning before work! So I have come up with a great theory, based on one we use all the time in other parts of our life!

Make exercise fun…

When you equate the gym as a torture house, you will find it very difficult to see it as a place of wellness or for exercise as something to be enjoyed. Again this all relates to the power of your mind and how you use it. What some people don’t understand is how powerful the mind is! So if you find active things you enjoy then relate them with positive connotations of exercise.

Some people enjoy music… take a dance class

Some people enjoy relaxing… try yoga

Some people enjoy a good sweat… go running

Some people love to clean… do the housework at a quick pace

Some people enjoy nature… go for a walk

These examples present how you can take an element of fun and turn it into exercise rather than take a tedious exercise routine and suck the fun out of it.

How to make the perfect loaf...

I love to eat healthy bread... I cant say I am particularly fond of white bread as it tends to lay more heavy once eaten.

So I wanted to have a little play taking the basics of bread making and creating something scummy! So I did... and not only did it go great with the homemade soup I made but also made a fantastic dessert.

I was first inspired about making bread from my dad... now there is the perception that men can't cook, however with all the famous chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Ramsey showing us girls how its done I dont believe this to be true!.. Anyway after tasting my dads homemade bread I was hooked (mind you its a shame he only ever made it once!)

I always find you make bread in two stages, there is the preparation and the cooking...


RECIPE:

A deliciously light, wholemeal loaf, speckled with pumpkin seeds, thinly flaked almonds and healthy sunflower seeds... melts in your mouth warm and a real crunch cool.

You will need:

• 1oz 4 of wholemeal flour
• 2 tspns salt
• 1 tsp of light brown sugar
• 1 packet of Yeast
• 25g of pumpkin seeds
• 25g almond flakes
• 25g of sunflower seeds
• 400ml warm water
  
  STAGE ONE
  

1. First of all mix the flour salt and sugar in a bowl and add the Yeast powder to the dry ingredients.

2. Then add the seeds and nuts

3. Make a well in the middle and stir together with a wooden spoon




















4. When a slight dough is formed finish off with your hands and kneed the dough until smooth

5.Take the dough and stretch it on a flat surface and fold in the corners

6. Put in a pre-greased loaf tin and make a rounded top pushing down the corners at the side of the tin

7. Then apply a damp tea cloth on top of the tin and leave in a warm place for the bread to rise, this usually take 30 - 40 minutes

STAGE TWO

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees and once the bread has risen bake in the oven for a further 30-40 minutes

2. Once cooked turn the tin upside down (the bread should make a hollow sound) and let rest for ten minutes

I served my bread with some homemade soup and after a few hours had a couple of slices with some Nutella and a coffee. The seeds complimented the flavors a treat!

You can also freeze this recipe and double the quantity if you are making two loafs!

Duckeys Health Scones...

Scones are a traditional favourite! So I have adapted a health version of these, often scones are served as an afternoon treat with a pot of tea... something I consider to be truly English!

RECIPE:

Deep warm Scones... filled with plump currents, mixed with a hint of cinnamon served with freshly whipped cream and raspberry jam.

You will need:

100g wholemeal flour
50g caster sugar
25g currents
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon


















1. In a bowl mix together the flour and sugar

2. Add the eggs and mix into a thick dough

3. Kneed the dough until you form a soft non sticky texture

















4. Add the currents

5. Add a hint of cinnamon

















6. Form into reasonably thick balls and lay on a papered tin

7. Bake in the oven for around 15-20 minutes

















8. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream and jam

These are perfect when you have afternoon company!

Abdominal crunch!

In order to maximize stimulation of the abs, the bicycle crunch is the most effective exercise. What makes it the best is that is that it is the only ab exercise capable of stimulating four different sections of the abs.

They key to making it work is perfect form. Here are the steps for perfect form on this ab exercise:

1.) Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. For this exercise, you will need to put your hands beside your head. Be careful however to not strain with the neck as you perform it. Now lift your shoulders into the crunch position.

2.) Bring knees up to where they are perpendicular to the floor, with your lower legs parallel to the floor. This will be your starting position.

3.) Now simultaneously, slowly go through a cycle pedal motion kicking forward with the right leg and bringing in the knee of the left leg. Bring your right elbow close to your left knee by crunching to the side, as you breathe out.

4.) Go back to the initial position as you breathe in.

5.) Crunch to the opposite side as you cycle your legs and bring closer your left elbow to your right knee and exhale.

6.) Continue alternating in this manner until all of the recommended repetitions for each side have been completed.

To view more exercise tips I found this video with more exercises

Daily healthy bites!

If we had a choice of foods to eat everyday which ones would benefit us the most?

I have produced some research into these areas and recommend the following:

1. Spinach - sexual enhancement, muscle growth, heart healthy, bone builder, and enhances eye sight - include in your main evening meal.

2. Yogurt - cancer fighter, bone builder, boosts immunity, eat at breakfast or for dessert or in a smoothie!

3. Tomotoes - cancer fighter, heart healthy, boosts immunity, eat at lunch or during a main meal.

4. Carrots - cancer fighter, boosts immunity, enhances eye sight, eat at lunch or during a main
meal.

5. Blueberries - brain stimulant, fights cancer, heart healthy, boosts immunity, eat for breakfast as a snack during the day or for dessert.

6. Black Beans - muscle growth, brain stimulant, heart healthy, eat at lunch or during a main meal.

7. Walnuts - muscle growth, heart healthy, fights cancer, brain stimulant, boosts immunity, great as a snack.

8. Oats - musle growth, hearth healthy, brain stimulant, perfect in porridge.

So consider these within your five a day!

Go fish... go Salmon!

Not many people know why Salmon is so good for us but we talk about it all the time! Below you will find the best benefits eating Salmon can bring to your diet…

1. Salmon is loaded with protein and muscle-building amino acids so great if you are training.

2. Salmon is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which help your body make anti-inflammatory compounds that soothe body aches and pains, as well as support fat-loss.

3. Omega-3's also help skin recover from skin damage from UV rays.

4. Salmon is high in Vitamin D, which supports strong bones and can help ward off colon caner.

5. Salmon is high in Selenium, which can help lower your risk of prostate cancer.

Live life... Drink green Tea...

Green Tea has so many positive health benefits… it is my favourite type of tea and comes in so many varieties now a days. Becoming more popular it is now linked to burning fat, raising the metabolism, lowering cholesterol as well as preventing dieses and cancer.

They say that drinking 5 cups of green tea a day helps the body burn an extra 70-80 calories per day and comes as either de-cafe or contains about a quarter of the caffeine content in coffee at worst.

It contains the antioxidant EGCG, this not only inhibits the growth of cancer cells, and it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue, evening containing more antioxidants than fruit and vegetables.

Green tea can be served with lemon for more flavour or as the Koreans do – add honey while drinking it.

You can buy it loose or in tea bags. I always carry green tea bags around with me in my handbag just in case you go out and hit a café that doesn’t sell green tea. I recommend Clipper as you can get an assortment of your choice to reflect your tea drinking mood.

Spice up your life...

The best way to jazz up your food in a healthy manner is to use spices!

They are great when used in a variety of different foods and cuisines, they also have many benefits here are my top five spices…


Oregano – Is really high in antioxidants

Cinnamon – Makes cells more responsive to insulin lowing your risk of developing a metabolic syndrome





Onion powder - Have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects lower and reduce risks of heart attacks and strokes

Garlic – Has an anti-infective antioxidant and also lowers cholesterol. It is a powerful antibiotic ingredient

Cayenne pepper – Can improve your digestive system can burn fat and speed up your metabolism

Ginger

Ginger speeds metabolic rate, plus it inhibits nausea and vomiting often caused by morning sickness or motion sickness.

Mustard

Mustard is a stimulant that can be used to relieve respiratory complaints.

Horseradish

Horseradish is a relative of the mustard family that acts as a digestive stimulant.

Allspice

Allspice is an aromatic stimulant that helps to relieve indigestion and gas.

Peppermint

Peppermint is used to treat gastric and digestive disorders, as well as tension and insomnia.

Turmeric

Turmeric is an antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals and therefore protects against cancer.

Black Pepper

Black pepper improves digestion by stimulating the taste buds and thereby alerting the stomach to increase hydrochloric secretion.

Chili Powder

Chili Powder relieves achy joints and an anti-inflammatory effect, which may help ease arthritic swelling and pain.

So instead of adding unhealthy, fattening sauces to your dishes why not add these healthy beneficial herbs and spices to add some real flavour to your cooking.

Dark Chocolate coated Fig balls...

Sometimes we all need a bit of indulgence to accompany something totally healthy, so here is the perfect remedy!

RECIPE:

Dark chocolate coated fig balls, combined with crystallised ginger and luxurious cinnamon bonded with honey.

You will need:

200g dried figs
50g crystallized ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
80g dark chocolate

















In a blender mix the dried figs, ginger honey and cinnamon

Melt the dark chocolate

Form small balls out of the blended mixture

Dip these into the melted chocolate (you can also dip some strawberries in at this point)


















On a lined tray allow these to cool in the fridge this usually takes about 15 minutes
























Serve with some natural yogurt and strawberries and layer with the left over chocolate sauce!
























Add a chocolate dip strawberry to serve.
























Remember dark chocolate is good for you in moderation I used Green and Blacks 80% coco and ginger and figs are also great for you especially when mixed with fresh fat free yogurt.
























Duckey says Yummy!

Self Defence tips...

In this day and age we all need to be careful especially us girls. You may have heard about self defence but do you know how to implement it? If the answer is no… then lets start here!

The basic ways to escape an encounter is via pressure points, wrist locks and avoiding the situation!

Pressure points… Using your fingers to apply pressure to the most sensitive parts of the human body as a distraction to escape

Wrist locks… Lock the joint of an opponent allowing you time to escape

OK so the best way for me to talk you through this is to come up with some scenarios and then explain how you could overcome them. Although 9 times out of 10 no scenario will be the same however just a hint of knowledge could give you that upper hand working along side your natural reactions.

You’re walking home after a night out your mate said she’d catch you up but no sign of her, after all you’d never normally walk home on your own, suddenly you are approached from no where and a guy appears…

What to do if he grabs your wrist…

Solution

Open your fingers wide to loosen his grip
Using your elbow grab his hand with your right elbow lean over his arm to break the grip as hard as you can
Make your escape

What to do if he grabs you from behind and interlocks his arms around you…

Solution

Jump downwards to loosen the grip
Apply the pressure point situated in the diagram below
Using your hip throw over your right shoulder

Tries to stab you with a knife…

Solution

Jump back avoiding the stab
Capture his hand between two of yours
Twist the wrist until the knife is dropped

You are captured in a headlock…

Solution

Bend the opponent’s fingers back
Twist following the arm round
Bend the hand joint up and take to the ground

Both your wrists have been grabbed…

Solution

Open the fingers wide to loosen the grip
Curl your hands up and over the grip
Twist the opponent in the other direction and escape

Your clothing is grabbed in the chest region…

Solution

Grab the clothing and the opponent’s hand
Twist the arm until the grip is loosened and take down to the ground

You have been knocked to the floor and the opponent is on top of you they have their hands around your neck…

Solution

Grab both hands with yours and twist
Kick your heels into the hips to escape

Sensitive target points to hit to escape...

Face
Knees
Groin

Above all remember to escape at your earliest possible route out!

Stay safe!

Monday night supper Mexican style...

Tonight for dinner I am encountering a Mexican theme, as it’s the start of the week after a day at work the last thing you want to do sometimes is head home and cook, however I have this one solved with my quick vegetable Mexican wrap… healthy style!

RECIPE:

A toasted warm wrap, filled with stir fried Mediterranean vegetables with butter beans topped and baked with tomato sauce, pine nuts and melted mozerrella served with a light green salad and hummus.

You will need:

1 Aubergine
2 Courgettes
1 onion
1 pepper
50g Peas
3 wholemeal wraps (1 1/2 per person)
Hummus
Low fat Mozzarella
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1/2 can of butter beans
25g pine nuts
Salad leaves
Salt, Pepper and chilli powder

In a saucepan heat the pan with some 1 calorie spray and infuse with rosemary

Take an assortment of vegetables I have used aubergine, courgette, peppers and onions and heat them in the saucepan

Mean while heat the grill and lightly toast some wholemeal tortilla wraps



















Once warm to these add your cooked vegetable mixture



















Roll the wraps and insert into a baking dish



















Topping with chopped tomatoes, pine nuts and mozerella and bake until melted for around 10-15 minutes


















Serve on a bed of salad with some hummus...



















This recipe creates a health spin on mexican food!

The best breakfast...

It is said that the most natural food you can eat for breakfast that is substantial and keeps your energy high for up to 4 hours is porridge. Now I must admit I am a keen porridge fan and have been perfecting my technique now for a few months. Here is how I have mine…

RECIPE:

Scotch porridge oats, heated and cooked with warm skimmed milk, sprinkled with currents topped with thick oats and a drizzling of organic honey.

You will need:

6 dessert spoonfuls of porridge oats
200ml of skimmed milk
2 tsp of currents
½ tsp honey
15g of thick oats



















In a microwavable bowl add 6 spoonfuls of Quaker Scotch Porridge oats and fill just below the top of the oats with skimmed milk.

Then add 2 tsps of currents and cook in the microwave for 1 minute 20 seconds.

By this time the consistency should be fluffy yet thick but soft and warmed, the top with some dry thick oats and a squirt of organic honey, you could also add some banana or use raisins instead of currents.

I usually find after having this for my breakfast I don’t get hungry now until around 1pm which sets me straight up for lunch!

Healthy yogurt treat dessert...

So you’re looking for an alternative version to a tasty dessert which will leave you guilt free…

Well why not try my tasty yogurt dessert…




You will need:

3 tbsp of fat free Greek yogurt
Half tsp honey
25g Blueberries
25g Raspberries
25g Porridge oats

Take either a martini glass or a dessert bowl

In a pan boil down some blueberries with a drop of water creating a compote

Pour this mixture into the bottom of the glass

Then add a small layer (tbsp yogurt) then a layer of raspberries another layer of yogurt, blueberry compote then yogurt and finally another section of raspberries

Take a pinch of porridge oats you can toast these in the oven before hand to bring out the flavours if you wish

Lace this with a shot of honey

If you want an extra treat serve this with a biscotti!

And finally serve!

Friday night Tuna Cakes with fresh Vegetables...

On a Friday night, I finish work for the week and start to unwind as it is the start of the weekend. Often I don't feel like coming home and cooking a three course meal. So here is a perfect solution to create a tasty dish with minimum effort.

RECIPE:

Oven baked tuna cakes, filled with butter beans and homemade breadcrumbs, served with an assortment of colourful vegetables and a mixture of sweet potato mash and season paprika wedges.

You will need:

2 cans of tuna in spring water
Light Mayonnaise
Dijon Mustard
2 cloves of garlic
1 can of butter beans
3 slices of wholemeal bread (for bread crumbs)
3 sweet potatoes (2 for mash / 1 for wedges)
Fresh vegetables of your choice (sweetcorn and French beans in this case)
Salt, Pepper, Cumin and Paprika for seasoning.

Start with the sweet potato…

Take 1-2 potatoes depending on the size and cut up into small wedges

Season with Salt, Pepper and Paprika then cover with 1 calorie spray over the top

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

















After 15 minutes take the remaining 2 potatoes and peel

Wash and boil in a sauce pan for about 15 minutes

After the sweet potatoes have softened mash adding some pepper and cumin for extra flavour when ready to serve

To make the Tuna Cakes…

Take 1 tin of tuna, I prefer the tuna in spring water but if you can’t get hold of this use brine, I would not recommend the sunflower oil version as this is not the best healthy option

In a blender shred around 4 small slices of wholemeal bread, mine happens to be homemade that I made earlier this week however shop bought will be fine

Add to this the butter beans, 2 cloves of garlic, and some Dijon Mustard with light mayonnaise to create a sticky consistency as you need to be able to mould the cakes... then blend

Once you have the mixture formed using your hands shape your preferred sized patties or cakes

Bake these in the oven for around 10-15 minutes

Add some vegetables to boiling water I have used mini sweet corn cobs and French beans on this occasion.

















To serve...

First of all apply a spoonful of mashed sweet potato in the centre of the plate

















On one side of your plate serve the vegetables and on the other serve the wedges

Place the tuna cakes on top of the sweet potato mash and to finish you can make or use the following…

Yogurt sauce…

Take some fat free yogurt or creme fresh and to this add Dijon mustard to compliment the flavour from the tuna cakes, lemon juice and seasonings of your choice and serve on top of the cakes.



















You can also buy some Sweet Chili Sauce which I have chosen

Or simply serve with a lemon.

A healthy way to start the weekend a great Friday night supper!

Birthday sponge cake...

It’s my friend Maxxy’s birthday and I’m sure he wont mind me telling you that he is a little bit fussy when it comes to food. The only dessert or cake he will eat is a good old traditional sponge cake. This weekend he is travelling from Bournemouth to come and stay with me and Rob to celebrate with us in Brighton.

So as a surprise I am going to bake him a modified sponge cake… which is 'Maxx proof' so I will share with you my very healthy adaptation of this recipe.

RECIPE:

A moist vanilla sponge cake, coated with a thin layer of raspberry jam, topped with fresh whipped cinnamon cream... (And on this occasion a few birthday surprises to turn the sponge cake into a birthday cake)

Ingredients:

4 Eggs
100g Caster Sugar
200g Plain Wholemeal Flour
100ml Fresh Double Cream
1/4 tsp Vanilla Essence
Raspberry Conserve/Jam
Cinnamon (for dusting)


















1. Start of by cracking your 4 eggs into a mixing bowl and beat well

2. Slowly add the caster sugar and vanilla essence to the egg mixture

3. Then fold in the flour bit by bit to the wet mixture

















4. You should then end up with a cake batter mix this until smooth and thick

















5. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and Greece a rounded tin with a lined base

6. Add the mixture to the tin, I have used a basic sandwich cake tin and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes

7. You will know if your cake is ready if you press on the top and feel a light bounce from the cake


















9. Once the cake has cooled spread a thin layer of jam on top of the cake

10. Beat some cream in a bowl I have used low fat cream to keep this cake healthy along with the wholemeal flour, add a few sprinkles of cinnamon if you were feeling really adventurous you could make an apple puree to add to the cream, however I have kept this simple for now

11. Layer the cream on top of the jam base

12. Then to finish dust the cake with cinnamon


















13. Then if like me you want to turn it into a birthday cake you can either make your own decorations or add some shop bought candles!


















Happy Birthday Maxxy I hope you enjoy!

Healthy food to snack on...

We all like to graze, but sometimes its hard to know now a days what the best things to snack on are... so here are a few of my favourite healthy snacks!

Oatcakes


You can get many different types of oat cakes I prefere Narins Oatcakes flavours such as Rough Cheese Organic Fine Milled Herb Mini or in fact a biscuit version including Mixed BerriesStem Ginger Fruit and Spice


Rice Cakes

Are great on their own or with some low fat spread or low fat hummous I prefere Kallo Rice Cakes they also come in a range of sizes and flavours including some scrumpious dark chocolate ones which are only 53 calories per slice

Corn Cakes

Kallo also produce an organic corn cake which is very similar to a rice cake but made from corn.

Eat Natural Bars

Eat Natural Bars are great for treats or if you get the snack size version you can just nibble them... they are all natural and come in a great range of tastey flavours. My favourtie ones are the yogurt coated flavours.

Fresh Fruit

Most types of fruit are great for snacking on the only bad thing in fruit could potential be the high amount of sugars however these are natural sugars so they are not as bad for you.

Chopped prunes

Prunes contain a lot and fibre and are great for helping you go to the toilet so are very important in your day to day diet, they are said to be the richest food source of antioxidants.

Dates

The date again is a stimulant food it works sluggish bowels, they are also an excellent remedy for alcoholic intoxication! So after you hit the town on a Saturday night make sure you have your daily date in take the next day! Naturally sweet I find them a good subsitute to chocolate.

Hummous

I would always go for the low fat version of course, Tesco do a particualy nice tub eat them with rice cakes.. oat cakes... even in sandwiches!

Cereal bars


Not all cereal bars are good for you so make sure you buy the healthy ones such as Quaker, Jordans or Fitness


Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds and Nuts

Seeds and nuts are great to snack on and contain heaps of vitamins and minerals!

So here are just a few of my recommended snack foods - remember all food is good in moderation especially the naturally sourced foods.

Baked Sweet Potatoes...

Now we have all heard of jacket potatoes... but have you ever tried the same process with a sweet potato? I find they compliment a salad delightfully as they are much lighter in texture than your usual Jacket Potato and have added health benefits.

RECIPE: Baked Sweet Potato, dressed with Tuna in a Dijon dressing, on a bed of fresh leaf salad served with carrot batons and celery sticks.

You will need:

2 sweet potatoes
1 bag of leaf salad
Carrot Batons
2 Celery Sticks
Olives
1 can Tuna
1 dessert spoon of light mayo
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Pinch of pepper

To Make:

1. Simple take one sweet potato and wash it thoroughly



2. Prick the skin a few times with a sharp utensil

3. Put it in the microwave and cook for 7-10 minutes...


4. Prepare a fresh bowl of green salad



5. Add to it some pickled onions and green olives for flavour

6. Then place some thin carrot sticks around the outside of the dish

7. Place the sweet potato onto the salad




I served mine with some low fat cream cheese instead of shavings of cheese, however you could fill it with the usual toppings of tuna, baked beans, chilli, prawns anything that doesn't spoil the health benefits of the sweet potato.
The Benefits:

Sweet potatoes are one of the unsung heroes of our balanced diets.

You get so many nutrients from this fabulous vegetable as they contain carotenoidss these help stabilize blood sugar levels and lower insulin resistance, making cells more responsive to insulin.

This can ultimately help with your metabolism.

This starchy vegetable will keep your tummy full for hours without making you feel bloated. All the calories in a sweet potato are fat-free, plus its fiber content is really good for you.

Sweet potatoes are also rich in potassium and vitamin C; a small potato provides almost half the daily allowance.

So try adding some to your diet!

Duckeys Quickie Healthy Desserts... Baked apples

Baked apples with dried fruit and fat free Greek yoghurt

• Peel and core a cooking apple
  
• Stuff the cored apple with some dried fruit such as sultanas or raisins
  
• Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake in the oven for ten minutes
  
• Serve with a spoonful of fresh yogurt and honey!

Banish E numbers...

It is extremely wise to avoid eating food with harmful food additives - E Numbers in them. Not all E Numbers are bad for you. On the new this morning I watch a case study that was suggesting a link between a Childs behaviour and IQ was effected by the intake of E numbers.

E numbers personally have effected me over the years, when I was younger I would become completely hyperactive after a packet of Smarties, Wine Gums or any sweets that included E numbers, I wouldn’t sleep, I would wake up screaming having had a nightmare. It is worrying to think that this is still effecting many children in the UK today and that nothing has been done to prevent the adding of artificial colours and flavouring to our food.

I believe that natural colours can be found in healthy food such a blueberries, which colour foods in a natural way however this brings the issue of cost… do companies cut costs by using inexpensive flavourings to sell cheap produce, or do the companies who use natural flavourings lose out by selling their products at a higher price due to better quality ingredients?

Personally I would rather spend more money on those products that use natural ingredients and wont even give products painted with colouring and additives a second look!

The Food Standards Agency have stopped short of recommending an outright ban on chemical additives found recently to have links with hyperactive behaviour in children, instead blaming the food industry for failing to respond quickly enough to consumer demand to remove E-numbers.

A few weeks ago it revised its guidance for consumers after research by Southampton University confirmed there are links between some E-numbers and hyperactivity in children.
Health specialists around the world are becoming increasingly convinced that the additives in processed foods are firmly linked to the dramatic rise in children's allergies.

However, despite mounting evidence, there has been very few restrictions placed on the food manufacturers in the UK and the USA. Some countries have displayed a more responsible attitude and, as you will see from the lists below, have banned certain substances. Particular attention has been paid to infants and children's products because their immature organs are less efficient at removing such toxins from their systems. Unfortunately, it makes frightening reading.

In the meantime, the watchdog will re-write its advice to parents, and has agreed to look at information about restaurant and take-away meals, which contain no labels about additive content.

Sunset yellow and carmoisine sound like romantic names for paint to brighten up a room, but they are better known as E110 and E122 and have been linked to hyperactivity in children.
These two, together with tartrazine (E102), ponceau 4R (E124), quinoline yellow (E104) and allura red (E129) are all food colourings, which the E-number tells us are approved as safe by the European Union.

Children's sweets and cakes are full of them - Love Hearts and Haribo Micro Mix contain all of them except tartrazine, according to the Food Commission, while Morrisons assorted sponge cakes have three, in common with many ready-made children's party cakes.

So a word of advice avoid E numbers and artificial flavorings as one day we will wish we had sooner.

Alcohol advice!

What alcoholic drink is the most healthy to consume?

Well we all know that sometimes alcohol is bad for you, It can make us do the craziest of things but sometimes if you have a healthy lifestyle once in a while a nice alcoholic drink can help you to relax and unwind in moderation!

Usually research shows that white spirits with slimline mixers have the lowest kilojoules in calories, these may include:

• Vodka with soda water
  
• Gin and Slimline Tonic


• Or these spirits alone.
  

They range from 48 to 88 calories each comparing to the worst offender the pint of beer with a whooping great 182 calories per pint! That’s where the term ‘beer belly’ stems from I believe! Also alco-pops with all the sugar they equate to around 200 calories per bottle! A beer belly stems from excess alcohol calories being stored as fat, nice! A glsss of medium white wine or champagne has 95 calories, which I don’t think is so bad, so if you think about it drinking can actually add to your calorie intake in a day.

I believe if you drink in moderation for example, once a week in large amounts or twice in small amounts you shouldn’t be too badly effected, however if you swallow those pints night after night I can promise you your body will start to feel the effects!

No I am partial to a nice glass of white vino, and yes they do say it has health benefits but I limit myself on a big night out to about 4 glasses max (me being a lightweight I don’t think I couldn’t manage much more) and I may have a mid-week glass with a meal or again at a weekend with a meal. Sometimes I will even do this in place of a dessert as a treat! I also like to drink Champagne as this is also very low in calories!

If you are trying to loose weight successful weight loss depends on burning more calories than you consume. This is why people choose low calorie drinks when trying to loose weight.

The other downside to alcohol…

Ever noticed after a night out you come out of a club or bar and get the munchies!... even I am guilty of it and this is where it changes you are hungry, you don’t care what you eat and oh look it’s the chip shop! Alcohol also contains sugar so after a sugar drop you will be craving more… so you may notice the craving for chocolate too!

Not only does drinking reduce the number of fat calories you burn, alcohol can increase your appetite and lower your testosterone levels for up to 24 hours after you finish drinking! Not good for men!

I have researched into this and to summarize this is what happens to your bodies fat metabolism after the odd drink or two...

• A small portion of the alcohol is converted into fat.


• Your liver then converts most of the alcohol into acetate.
  
• The acetate is then released into your bloodstream, and replaces fat as a source of fuel.
  

The way your body responds to alcohol is very similar to the way it deals with excess carbohydrate. Although carbohydrate can be converted directly into fat, one of the main effects of overfeeding with carbohydrate is that it simply replaces fat as a source of energy.

All in all be sensible and drink in moderation!

Top fruit and Veg!

TOP 10 VEGETABLES

Sweet Potato
Spinach
Kale and Collard Greens
Carrots
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Potato
Peas
Tomato
Artichoke





TOP 10 FRUITS

Papaya
Strawberries
Cantaloupe
Tangerines
Mango
Apricots
Persimmons
Peaches
Watermelons
Pineapple

Top Superfoods!

Carrots

They may or may not make you see in the dark, but carrots contain the powerful beta carotene, an important aid in reducing your risk of stroke. Steam or stir fry for that satisfying crunch, or serve as a snack – great with a healthy low fat yoghurt dip. (And the healthy bacteria in yoghurt will help your immune system!)

Spinach


Popeye had the right idea – because not only is spinach loaded with fibre and cancer-fighting substances, it can also improve your eyesight. So carrots don't get all the glory then … Perfect for salads and stir fries, or for a quick and easy fix just add to soup just before serving

Apples

Often losing out in the publicity campaigns to its high profile colleague the orange, recent studies have shown that apples can reduce the risk of asthma and may help prevent lung cancer. Cut into bite-sized pieces to give the children a healthy tasty snack between meals Over 7,500 varieties of apple are grown throughout the world. They are packed full of antioxidants, especially vitamin C for healthy skin and gums - one apple provides a quarter of your daily requirement of vitamin C.

Apples also contain a form of soluble fibre called pectin that can help to lower blood cholesterol levels and keep the digestive system healthy.

An apple is also a carbohydrate with a low glycaemic index (GI) type.
Low GI foods are digested slowly; once they are finally broken down in the intestine they are gradually absorbed into the bloodstreams as glucose, causing a gradual rise in blood sugar levels.
They may help with weight control, as well as improving diabetics' long-term control of blood sugar levels.

Broccoli

Like carrots, broccoli is packed full of antioxidants, which help fight against heart disease, strenghten the immune system and lower the risk of cancer and infection. Ideal for a stir fry – and cooked in just minutes

Just two florets - raw or lightly cooked - count as a veggie portion.
Not only does broccoli contain antioxidants including vitamin C but it's a particularly good source of folate (naturally occuring folic acid).

Increasing your intake of folic acid is thought to be of major benefit in preventing heart disease.
Broccoli also contains an antioxidant called lutein that can delay the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This affects 10 per cent of people over 60 and is a major cause of impaired vision and blindness.

Finally, broccoli also contains a phytochemical called sulphoraphane that has specific anti-cancer properties.

Olive oil

Several large studies suggest that the monosaturated fat in olive oil is good for the heart. Olive oil lower bad cholesterol levels and increases the good levels.
Olive oil is also rich in antioxidants - it's probably one of the key protective aspects of the so-called Mediterranean diet.

Watch out for the calories - a little goes a long way. A tablespoon of oil contains 120 kilocalories, which is the same as a large slice of bread and butter.

Blueberries
Food for the brain! Research has picked up that berries slow and reverse many of the degenerative diseases that can affect the brain as we age. Blueberries also contain an additional antioxidant to fight against cancer. Try in a pie or muffin … (well, we don't have to be good all of the time)

Beans

Lots to try - kidney, black, pinto, chickpeas, broad and soybeans just for starters. The natural way to reduce cholesterol, they're also packed full of antioxidants, folic acid and potassium. A great way to beef up a summer salad or hearty winter stew


The humble baked bean is a nutritional powerhouse of protein, fibre, iron and calcium. It contains carbohydrate that, like that in apples, is of the low GI variety.

The tomato sauce covering baked beans is also a good source of lycopene, another powerful antioxidant shown to help prevent heart disease and prostate cancer.

The insoluble fibre in baked beans is not digested but moves into the large intestine, or colon, where bacteria act on it and produce short-chain fatty acids.
These fatty acids are thought to nourish the colon lining and protect it from carcinogenic (cancer-causing) invaders.

Wholegrains

Okay, we're cheating here. Wholegrains include a whole range of foods such as breads, cereals, pasta and rice. But it's worth remembering that wholegrains contain some valuable antioxidants not found in fruits and vegetables, as well as lots of vitamins, iron and fibre. And they add a tasty edge to your diet Breads containing a lot of seeds and wholegrain have a low GI, which can protect against heart disease, reduce hunger pangs, and help with weight control.
They are also packed with fibre, which keeps the gut working efficiently; and seeded breads contain essential fatty acids.

Studies show that including four flices of soya and linseed bread a day can give a does of phytoestrogens, through to relieve "hot flushes" in menopausal women.
The downside is that bread contains a lot of salt. However, the good news is that bread manufacturers have started to use less salt in their pre-packaged bread.

Salmon

All fish is a source of good-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals, but oily fish such as salmon also contains omega 3 fats that reduce blood clotting and inflammation.
Studies show that eating oily fish dramatically recues the risk of having a heart attack, even in older adults.

Omega 3 fats also help to prevent depression, and protect against the onset of dementia. Yep, it's true, fish really is an all-round brain food.

Tea

The drink loved by all Britons has a range of useful properties. The caffeine content is helpful for stimulating alertness, mood and motivation.

Tea counts towards the recommended eight cups of fluid daily, which is the minimum to avoid dehydration.

Tea, whether black or green, is a rich source of the antioxidant called catechins. Studies suggest that catechins protect the artery walls against the damage that causes heart disease and prevents formation of sticky blood clots.

Some population studies suggest as little as one cuppa a day seems to offer some protection.

Yogurt

Yogurt is an easily absorbed source of calcium. It's also a useful milk subsitute for people who can't digest large amounts of the milk sugar, lactose.

Yogurt has long been credited with a range of therapeutic benefits, many of which involve the health of the large intestine and the relief of gastrointestinal upsets.

The bacteria Lactobacillus GG, added to some yoghurt, are not digested, and reach the large intestine intact where they top up the other friendly bacteria living there.

The friendly bacteria fight harmful bacteria, including Clostridium difficile that can cause diarrhoea after a course of antibiotics.

Bananas

It's a myth that bananas are fattening. Bananas are slightly higher in energy than other fruits but the calories come mainly from carbohydrate; excellent for refuelling before, during or after exercise.

All types of fruit and vegetables contain plant chemicals or phytochemicals known as antioxidants. These antioxidants protect cells in the body against damage from free radicals that can cause heart disease and cancer.

Bananas are also jam-packed with potassium that helps lower blood pressure, and vitamin B6 for healthy skin and hair.

Brazil nuts

All nuts are generally full of essential vitamins, minerals and fibre. Recent studies suggest that eating a small handful of nuts four times a week can help reduce heart disease and satisfy food cravings.

Brazil nuts are one of the few good sources of selenium that may help protect against cancer, depression and Alzheimer's disease.

Top Ten Reasons to go Organic!

1. A perfect taste...


Often consumers purchase organic food because they believe it has a better taste than non-organic foods. This taste difference could be due to Organic produce having less water content within fruits and vegetables, as they grow more slowly without the use of pesticides. Many polls show that people would rather buy better quality tasting food than those with low price labels.

2. Organic food has no nasty additives...


Results show that only 32 of the 290 food additives are actually approved for use across the EU are permitted in organic food. The additives banned by Organic associations are hydrogenated fat, aspartame (artificial sweetener) which can be found in Diet coke or chewing gum and monosodium glutamate, which have been linked to health problems. Monsododium glutamate is often found in Chinese dishes and is used frequently in restaurants, my dad is extremely sensitive to this additive and if he eats it, it keeps him up all night... doesn't that state how powerful this additive is?

3. Organic food is healthy...

Most organic foods contain higher levels of vitamins and essential minerals, as well as cancer-fighting antioxidants. Even organic milk is naturally higher in fatty acids and omega-3. Studies show that because Organic produce is not tampered with the nutrients are kept in the produce.

4. High standards...

Most Organic food comes from trusted sources and reliable farms. All organic farms and food companies are inspected at least once a year by the relevant authorities. The standards for organic food can be seen in the European law.

5. Avoids bad chemicals and pesticides...

Organics foods do not grow from pesticides or chemicals that could be potentially harmful to your health. By eating organically this is the best way we can avoid this. There are over 331 pesticides that can be used on growing non-organic produce.

6. Could save us tax money...

£120 million pounds is spend by tax payers to have chemicals removed from the water we drink this is mainly a result from the pesticides used in farming. To me this seems a cost that if we could eliminate pesticides we could save ourselves a lot of money that could be better used elsewhere.

7. Caring for our animals...

Organic standards look very highly in the importance of animal welfare, looking into those who have compassion and care within their farming methods. Again you will also find in these case the quality of produce is much better, which in turn works out well for those of us who consume meat.

8. GM-free...

GM (Genetically modified) crops are imported to feed non-organic livestock, these are banned under organic standards. 1 million tonnes of crops are used to feed non-organic livestock which are consumed then by us in the food chain!

9. Reliance on drugs removed...

Antibiotic additives are often added to live stocks food to speed up their growth.

10. Healthy for wildlife and the environment...

Organic farming is supportive with farmland wildlife it is better for wildlife, as causes lower pollution from nasty sprays, producing less CO2.

Why Organic?

OK so now a days we are lucky enough to say that now a days we can pretty much import in any food we like. For example we can get strawberries anytime of the year now where as in the past this was not a luxury we had. Recently we are seeing a big rise in the purchasing of Organic foods… it is cool to be Organic! This is the message we are presented with in this current Eco Friendly Society. So my friends why Organic?

The following definition of "organic" was passed by the NOSB at its April 1995 meeting in Orlando, FL.

"Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony."

Studies show that on average organic food contains more vitamins and minerals than non-organic produce the reason for this that plants are grown in a naturally nutrient-rich soil. Other non-organic methods include chemicals which may speed up growth rates which can change the structure of a plant which results in the plant absorbing more water which means fewer nutrients for us to consume.

So although Organic produce can sometimes be a little pricier in fact you get more of your chosen product for the money you buy and not water absorbent products.

When it comes to organic meats as humans we need Essential fatty acids (EFA’s) as a part of a healthy balanced diet. Organic meat and milk have been shown to have higher levels of essential fatty acids. This is because organic animals eat a natural grass-based diet as opposed to non organic animals that can eat a lot of processed feeds to help them put on weight! At the end of the day I would rather eat produce that has eaten healthy produce if you see what I mean!

On a recent poll over 86% of us stated we don’t want pesticides on our food. Yet Government tests often show that up to a third of our non-organic food contains these nasty pesticides, so it makes me wonder why this is? If so many people want to eat healthy why isn't more done to put this into action?

Even food that we think is healthy, such as non-organic apples, can be sprayed 16 times this is leading to real health concerns about the links with pesticides and cancers, this can affect male fertility, foetal abnormalities and chronic fatigue syndrome to name but a few.

Some E numbers and other additives have been found damage health I was lucky as being allergic to E numbers (they used to make me scatty when I was a child) I hardly touched them and still wont to this day. Luckily they have been banned under Organic standards which is re-assuring.

Basically organic food banishes all the rubbish that some foods contain so if you want my advice to keep your body pure and healthy go Organic!!!

Looking for a good hobby... Try Martial Arts!

Martial Arts not only keeps your body in top shape but also trains your mind.

It is a way to turn off and relax, to escape from the chores of day to day life!

Martial Arts works out most parts of your body through fast, slow and moderate exercise.

You start as a white belt, a basic level, to which you work your way up in the ranks, gaining more confidence... fitness... and skills.


Martial Arts teaches you important values such as:

• Self discipline


• Concentration


• Focus


• Respect


• Perseverance

I have been training in Martial Arts since I was a baby! My dad my instructor started my training and development at a young age and I cannot stress how far this has got me in life at only 21 years old! I have learnt that I can achieve anything I want to achieve in life by using the power of my mind.

The Martial Art I train in is called Kuk Sool Won it is a traditional Korean Martial Art founded by Grandmaster In Hyuk Suh, also know as Kuk Sa Nim. This great man has been part of my life since I was young and I look up to him as you would to a grandfather, we have stayed with him at his home in Texas on numerous occasions and he has always taken great care of my family.

To me not only does Martial Arts keep your body in great shape, it keeps your mind in shape to. It clears the negative energy and replaces it with something positive! It also to me represents family as my whole family train and are now high ranking black belts and own three Kuk Sool Won schools in the UK.

If you are thinking about getting fit on the outside and the inside then try this Martial Art, especially if you have young children it is a great hobby for all the family.

Top notch smoothie...

If you are looking for a fat free alternative dessert then here is a simple answer... try having a smoothie, they are quick and easy to make and leave you with a healthy buzz of satisfaction.

RECIPE:

A smooth emulsion of ripe strawberries and soft banana, pureed with light Greek yogurt crunched together with cubes of ice, garnished with a refreshing red strawberry.


You will need:

• 8-10 Strawberries (save 2 for the presentation)


• 2 Bananas


• 2/3 tablespoons of fat free Greek yogurt


• 6-8 ice cubes

1. In a blender first add the ice

2. Add the chopped fruit

3. Add 3 dessert spoons of yogurt... if you wanted to add a bit more flavour you could add some desiccated coconut or honey.

4. Once blended into a smooth liquid pour the smoothie into 2 glasses.

You can spice up the presentation by putting a slot down a half of a strawberry and slotting this onto the glass.

You can even go beyond this and place a cocktail stick containing other fruit onto the cocktail stick.

This is the perfect health kick to start your day or finish it... knowing you are gaining nothing but goodness from this concoction! Better still you can drink this anytime of the day!

We are in the process of getting a kitten and like most animal lovers I want my kitten to be the healthiest, most loved kitten around! I think to have a healthy lifestyle your animals very much reflect yourself… they do say animals look like their owners! (Which is why I want a cute kitty!)

Animals need to have a healthy diet too, some may be colour blind so choose their food by smell. Most dogs enjoy liver, garlic, onions, cheese and beef where as cats enjoy chicken, fish, turkey, yeast and fresh aged flavours. They are also known to be more fussy than dogs, again why a cat is the perfect pet for me! They do not need salt in their diet as their food is natural enough! A grain is always a good idea for example Kibble, wheat germ, cooked oatmeal or whole wheat bread as well as fruits and some vegetables however it is best not to feed a cat starchy veggies.

Not only are these simple and healthy but will save you money too! All should be served at room temperature.Incidentally, you should know that cats should be fed three times a day, while an adult dog needs only one meal a day.

Here are some pet recipes you can make at home:

SAUTEED LIVER

Heat 1 teaspoon corn oil in a pan.Add 1/4 pound beef liver and fry on both sides until cooked but not dry inside.Add 1/2 cup water to the pan and mix it up with all the brown bits.For dogs, cut the liver into pieces and serve; for cats, grind the liver in a blender, using the pan juices.

VEAL STEW

Combine 1/2 pound stewing veal, 1 cup canned tomatoes, 1 cup water, 1 chicken bouillon cube, 1/2 onion (chopped), parsley and a dash of garlic powder in a pot and simmer.When meat is tender, remove all the bones.For dogs, cut the meat in chunks, and mix stew with kibble or some other grain; for cats, grind the stew in blender, adding a tablespoon of wheat germ or 1/2 slice of whole wheat bread.

CHICKEN SOAP

Combine 1 chicken liver, 1 giblet, 1 chicken heart, 1 chicken neck, 2 cups water and 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley.Cover and simmer until the giblet is tender.Chop all the meat for dogs removing bones and mix with kibble; for cats, you may want to grind the meat in the blender.

LIVER COOKIES

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Combine 1/2 cup dry milk and 1/2 cup wheat germ; drizzle 1 teaspoon honey on top.Add one 3 1/3 oz. jar of strained liver baby food or homemade blended liver and stir until everything is well mixed.Form the mixture into balls; place them on an oiled cookie sheet and flatten them with a fork.Bake 8 to 10 minutes.Consistency should be fudgy.Store in a jar in the fridge; freeze if keeping more than a few days. MACKEREL DINNER Heat 1 tsp. corn oil in a skillet and fry 1 small mackerel until it flakes apart easily. Remove and cool. Pour 1/2 cup hot water into the pan and scrape the brown bits into it. Remove the bones from the fish and mix with the juice. For dogs, serve in pieces with kibble; for cats, grind with the pan juices.

BEEF COOKIES

Following the recipe for Liver Cookies, using cooked beef puree instead. FISH COOKIES Follow the recipe for Liver Cookies but use instead 3 1/2 ounces of mashed and boned mackerel, either canned or freshly cooked.

DOG MORSELS

2 cups whole wheat flour2 tsp. garlic powder2 cups white flour1 cup skim milk powder2 eggswater1/2 cup melted beef or pork drippings (or lard)Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix ingredients together with enough water to make a stiff dough. Roll out and cut into Christmas shapes. Bake on cookie sheet until hard.

BUDGIE BROWNIES

1 cup cornmeal 1 tsp. finely ground cuttlebone1 cup hulled millet2 tbsp. liquid honey1/4 cup whole wheat flour2 eggs2 tbsp. raw wheat germ4 egg yolks (for larger birds add 1/2 cup peanuts)Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Pat into a greased and floured baking dish.Bake for 30 minutes or until firm (if edges start to get too brown, cover with foil).Cool and cut into small squares.

I hope these sound more appealing to you pet!

Duckeys Quickie Healthy Desserts... Layered fruit yogurt parfait

Fresh Prune and apple yogurt parfait layered with fat free Greek yogurt topped with grilled oats

• Chop and prepare a mixture of fruit in this case...
  
• Warmed apple and prunes

You could also use:

*Strawberries
*Blueberries
*Rasberries
*Apple
*Banana
*Kiwi
*Apricots

• Add a large spoonful of fat free yogurt and layer with warm apple then yogurt, then prunes then yogurt
  
• Top with some grilled oats


• For added indulgence add chopped almonds and a drizzle of honey.

Prawns... so tasty but oh so healthy!

Prawns are really low in fat and are an brilliant source of protein and a great way to get your doses of iron, zinc and vitamin E.

The fact they have very little fat actually comes down to the fact they are virtually free from saturated fat. Omega 3 fatty acids are valuable fats as they have lower triglyceride levels and have many other benefits for heart health!

Problems can often arise in foods which combine high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol for example, the British favourite... fried bacon and eggs, or seafood battered then fried in saturated fat... which I cant say appeals to me at all!

As long as you cook your prawns in a healthy way for example grilled, barbecued, steamed or cooked with a 'good' olive oil, they should not cause problems.

Healthy Facts about prawns:

*A good source of omega 3 fatty acids
*An excellent source of protein
*A great way to get iron, zinc and vitamin E

*Low in saturated fats

Recipe Ideas:

Fruity Prawn cocktail

Prawns and Ginger

Prawn and Avocado open sandwich

Healthy Tuna and Prawn Pasta Bake

Prawn and Ginger cakes

Treat yourself to some healthy prawns!

Yoga Basics...

Yoga is great for relaxing the mind and body and is becoming increasingly popular.

I learnt yoga about a year ago from an instructor and once I was trained in the basics I now practice regularly on my own.

Every morning I like to wake up at 6.30am, the first thing I want to do is stretch... so what better than to start the day and tone up with a 20 minute yoga session.

I also sometimes practice yoga after a stressful day or to stretch after a gym session.

I will talk you through my basic routine... I hope you are ready!

1. Warm up your arms...

I do five shoulder rotations on the right arm and five on the left...then both together


I repeat this step making full swings with my arms... and both together

Then stretching my right elbow up towards my head and repeat this with my left elbow... I do this process four times

2. Prep your tummy muscles...

Standing straight with your feet hip width apart move left to right keeping everything below your waist still you should feel the stretch in your waist and your arms

3. Salute to the sun...

A common yoga exercise, start by stretching the body upwards with your hands in the air

Bend over to touch the ground, step back with your left then right, so you are in the 'dog' position, then kneel down and like a serpent roll your body forward stretching your head upwards (towards the sun) and pull the body back after a few seconds.

Then pull up onto your tip toes lean back onto your feet and move forward with your left foot, right foot and stretch up to the sun again. I repeat this process 6-8 times alternating which feet I move back with.

The exercise tones most muscles in one and allows you to focus on your breathing. If done properly you can really get a sweat on!

• Please view the video for more details...

4. Warm up your back...

This is where it gets tricky! Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and slowly lean back as far as you can creating an arch with your back, I usually can hold the back of my knees leaning over. I hold this position for 1 minute.

From this position I lean fully back with my arms stretch out full directly behind my head, I hold this position for a further minute and then repeat but this time raising my back into half an arch toning my legs, bum, back and tum!

5. Balance...

From here pushing up with my back from an L shape I push my legs up directly above me - you may wish to support your back or more advanced you can go solo! I hold this for one minute and then open and close my legs (still above me) to work the muscles.

I then put one knee next to my head whilst the other leg is still straight in the air creating a gorgeous stretch!

Then repeat with the other leg.

I finish by putting both feet together above me creating a circle with my legs

6. Sit ups...

200 sit ups is a nice amount with a mixture of light crunches, that tone without wearing me out... sit ups are great for developing muscles within your abdomen there are various different ways

to tone different areas. There are many websites you can research you can use to explore these ways in more detail.

7. Warm up your legs...

Laying on your side raise you leg slowly up and down 30 times repeat on the other leg

In a similar way pull your leg in and out for 25 repetitions

On all fours do a similar process working one leg up and down 20 times to work your glutes!

Repeat on the other leg and do the process up and down in and out and side to side.

8. Yoga band...

I use my yoga band to stretch my legs up and down about 50 times this works out not only my legs but my arms, bum and stomach!

9. Weights...

I finish with some light dumbbell weights in sets of 50's.

10... Now go and have some breakfast! :)

This is a great morning workout I found try it and let me know your thoughts!

Healthy post gym meal...

Being a rather creative person in my spare time I love to cook and create my own recipes. Sometimes I find the most unusual ingredients working together to create something amazing, much like the world sometimes!

This week I have decided to focus on eggs! After a smashing gym session yesterday, I thought I needed some extra protein for dinner.

Eggs are full of quality protein and really high in all of our essential vitamins... they are also reasonably priced. Lending themselves to an endless number of flavour combinations the form a base of many wonderful dishes.

So what exactly are Omelet's? An omelet is a dish consisting of lightly beaten eggs that are then cooked until set and filled with cheese or a topping such as tuna and then folded in half and served.

They are so simple to prepare and can provide a quick, yet impressive, evening meal to serve at the end of a busy day. They also make a great breakfast or brunch.

I wanted to make the perfect omelet in the form of a Frittata, which is an Omelet baked in the oven to finish.

RECIPE:

A Protein filled, Warm Baked Frittata Omelet, baked with flaked salmon and olives topped with green pesto, seasoned with paprika, served on a bed of fresh green asparagus salad, flourished with plump black olives and juicy red tomatoes dressed balsamic vinegar.

To make the Frittata:

• 2 egg whites
• 1 egg yoke
• 1/4 pint of skimmed milk
• Salt, pepper, basil and paprika
• 1/2 tin of flaked Salmon
• Olives
• Tsp Pesto

1. Separate the egg whites into one bowl and taking a separate bowl add the remaining one yoke with the milk and seasoning

2. Pre-heat a specialised omelette pan using some 1 calorie spray - this is a low fat alternative to Olive oil and can be found in any supermarket

3. Take the egg whites and fold into the other mixture

4. Then insert the mixture into the pan once hot, using a spatula to fluff the mixture... don’t be afraid to get stuck in!

5. Meanwhile pre-heat the grill

6. Once the mixture has slightly browned underneath add the tuna or topping of your choice on the uncooked side - I have chosen to add olives, a tin of salmon and green pesto

7. Bake in the oven or under the grill, until the top has browned an the Frittata is cooked to your liking

8. You can either eat this in 'pizza' form or fold over to create a traditional omelette

To make the salad:

• One pack of fresh asparagus
• 1 pack of salad
• 8 baby tomatoes
• 10 Black Olives
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  

Lightly boil some halved asparagus spears

Fill a bowl with some mixed salad and spinach leaves

Add some plump black olives and red tomatoes

Dress the salad with a glaze of balsamic vinegar

To Present:

Lay the omelet on top or to the side of your salad in your chosen 'pizza' or 'folded' style

Leave a two spears of asparagus aside to layer crossed on top of the Frittata

Remember its all in the presentation!